After The End
by cleotheo
Summary: A collection series exploring what comes after the end of some of my stories. Each piece will be a short follow up to one of the stories I have already published on this site. Mainly Dramione focused, but some pieces will focus on other people. Requests accepted and very much appreciated.
1. The Mistress?

**A/N - This is my new collection series - After The End. Each piece posted in this series corresponds with a story I've already written, and will add a little more detail about what happened after the end of the story. Like my other collection series, this will have no set update days and will not be marked as complete. New pieces will be added randomly as I write them. **

**I do have a lot of plans for this series, but I am still very interested in knowing anything people would like a piece about. Feel free to let me know what stories you want including in this series, what questions you would like answering, or what you would like to know more about. I will promise to do as many as I can in between writing my longer stories. **

**This first piece is from The Mistress? I do actually have another piece written for this story, and it will be published at a later date, but I decided to start with this one as it was one of the first pieces for this collection I wrote. so obviously some stories will have a couple of pieces in this collection. I hope you all enjoy the first piece in this collection, and I hope you enjoy the rest of the series.**

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**The Mistress?**

The sun was just rising, yet Hermione Malfoy had been awake for hours. While her husband slumbered peacefully in their king sized bed, Hermione was curled up beside the window, watching the sun rise on a new day, and a new month. September. The month her precious children left home and headed off to Hogwarts for the first time.

"Stupid boarding school," she muttered to herself.

As a student at Hogwarts she hadn't seen a problem with the magical school being one the students stayed at for most of the year, but as a parent she viewed things differently. Why did Hogwarts need for the pupils to stay at the castle? Or at the very least, why didn't they have a day only option? But then again, part of the experience of attending Hogwarts was living in the castle, and even though she was dreading the thought of the twins leaving, she wouldn't deny them the opportunity to go to Hogwarts for anything in the world. Especially as it hadn't always been guaranteed that the twins would even be attending the magical school.

Thanks to the difficulties Hermione had endured in regards to earlier pregnancies, the twins very existence had been severely aided by magic, and as a result there'd been a chance they would be squibs. Throughout the pregnancy and in the twins very first few months, she and everyone else had insisted that magic wasn't important and they would love them regardless. And while that was perfectly true, it was only after the twins had been born, that Hermione realised just how difficult having no magic would be for the twins themselves.

As a muggleborn, Hermione herself had grown up unaware of her magical ability and she knew it was possible for a child to have a happy childhood without magic. However, the twins were not in a world without magic, and even if they hadn't possessed any magic, they were still part of a magical family. Magic was everywhere in their lives, and all Hermione could see were the problems her children would face if in the magical world if they didn't have magic.

As it was, neither of the twins showed any signs of magic in the first two years of their lives. Apparently by that point the majority of magical children had already experienced their first burst of accidental magic, and that was when Hermione and Draco began to think about what would happen if the twins didn't have magic. In fact they'd even started discussing the fact it might be better for the twins to live in the muggle world by the time the twins second birthday had rolled around. But then their birthday party changed everything.

While blowing out their candles, with the help of Draco and Hermione, Scorpius had sneezed and accidentally doused the flames before Lyra got a chance to try and blow them out. When Lyra had started to cry and get upset, the candles had flickered back to life. Initially Draco and Hermione had thought the other one had done it to keep the peace, but every time the candles went out either Scorpius and Lyra began to cry and they relit themselves. That was when they realised it was their accidental magic, relighting the candles to keep them happy.

Hermione would have liked to say that from there on it was plain sailing and her children had excelled at magic, but it wasn't the case. Their bursts of accidental magic were infrequent, and not always as strong as the birthday incident. As they grew older, Draco had started teaching them how to control their magic, as his parents had done with him, but it had been slow going. It had taken both children a significant amount of time to wield any sort of control over their magic.

Although Hermione had to admit even that had changed over the last eighteen months. Just recently the twins had really started to control and master their magic. Thanks to the books they always had their noses stuck in, a habit inherited from both of their parents, they were both very smart and it was starting to show in their magic. With each passing day they were getting better and better, and Hermione knew their skills would only increase once they were at Hogwarts and were receiving expert tutelage from the highly skilled Professors.

Hermione was only hoping that a pressured learning environment wouldn't be too much for them. She and Draco had always made it clear that they could learn things in their own time, and they'd never put any pressure on them when they'd been struggling. And even though they were now so much better with their magic, Hermione was still worried about how they would cope with the lessons at Hogwarts. The last thing she wanted was for them to feel inferior to their classmates. She wanted them to enjoy their years at Hogwarts, not view them as years of torture.

She was also worried how they would cope if they were sorted into separate houses. The pair were as close as anything, and Hermione didn't know how they would cope if they were separated for any length of time. Although she knew Draco wasn't worried about the possibility, as not only did he assure her that they were far tougher than she wanted to admit, he also believed that they were so similar they would be sorted together. And by together, he meant into Slytherin as that was where her husband believed they belonged. Although to be fair, he was probably right as the twins were little scamps, and of course they'd had excellent role models, in Draco and their grandfather, Lucius, who spoiled them rotten.

So caught up in her thoughts, Hermione failed to notice Draco waking up and getting out of bed. It wasn't until her husband pressed a light kiss to the top of head that she even realised the sun was well and truly up and the twins would be bounding up soon, no doubt excited to be starting Hogwarts.

"Don't," Draco ordered her.

"Don't what?" Hermione questioned, even though she knew full well that without having to say anything, Draco had picked up on her anxieties.

"Worry about the twins," Draco answered. "They're going to be great."

"I'm their mother, it's my job to worry," Hermione retorted.

"But not about things that are unnecessary," Draco argued gently. "The twins will cope just fine. So what if they won't master a spell in the first couple of attempts. It might even take them the whole lesson to get it right. It doesn't matter. They'll get there, and you know as well as I do that once they've performed a spell once they can perfect it within a couple more tries. They won't be bottom of the class, Hermione."

"I know," Hermione admitted with a sigh. "And I know that they'll be able to cope if they are sorted into separate houses."

"I honestly believe they will be sorted into Slytherin, but I do sometimes think they would be perfect Gryffindors," Draco confessed reluctantly. "They're both so gutsy, and quite honestly I think they're stronger than either of us given them credit for. Now, you've got to promise me never to reveal to anyone that I considered my children to be part Gryffindor."

"And just what is a promise like that worth?" Hermione teased. "I'd want something in return for keeping that secret."

"You can have anything you want," Draco replied with a grin, pleased he was able to alleviate some of the tension surrounding his wife.

"I'm sure I can think of something," Hermione purred, giving her husband a kiss as her hand slid around his back and squeezed his bare backside. While she'd slid a robe over her nakedness when she'd gotten up, Draco hadn't bothered with modesty and he was stark bollock naked.

"I don't suppose you fancy joining me in the shower?" Draco asked hopefully.

"Not this morning, I've got too much to do," Hermione replied with a shake of her head. "But we'll have plenty of mornings to fill once the twins are off at Hogwarts and they're not up at the crack of dawn wanting feeding."

"Now I understand why my parents were so thrilled when I started Hogwarts," Draco chuckled. "They just wanted the manor to themselves."

"I guess you could have a lot of fun in a big house with no children underfoot," Hermione remarked.

"And isn't it a good job we've got a big house?" Draco grinned, flashing Hermione a sinful wink as he headed off to use the bathroom.

Suddenly feeling much brighter, Hermione used the bathroom after her husband and once she was dressed she headed downstairs in a bright mood. As expected the twins were virtually bouncing off the walls, and they couldn't wait to get off to Hogwarts and start their new adventure. In the fact of such exuberance, Hermione couldn't help but be thrilled for her children, and all she hoped was that they loved Hogwarts as much as she had. As long as they were happy, she was happy, even if she was going to miss them like crazy.

It was rather nostalgic for Hermione and Draco as they saw the twins off to Hogwarts for the first time, and even though she was happy for them, Hermione still got a bit teary eyed as the Hogwarts Express pulled out of the station and her children were whisked away up to Scotland. Now she just had to hope that they wrote to her as promised and she would find out what house, or houses, they'd been sorted into.

Luckily for Hermione she'd raised her children well and as promised a letter arrived for her and Draco that very evening. The letter was in Lyra's handwriting, but when Hermione opened the parchment she spotted her son's signature at the bottom of the letter. Obviously Lyra had written for the pair of them, and Scorpius had just signed his name at the end.

"What do they have to say?" Draco asked expectantly as Hermione read the letter. "How long did it take the sorting hat to realise they were perfect little Slytherins?"

"Read it for yourself," Hermione said, casually handing the letter over to her husband.

As Draco read the letter, Hermione chuckled as his expression changed from smug to stunned. Several times he shook his head as he re-read parts of the letter and when he looked up at Hermione, he looked totally flabbergasted.

"It can't be happening," he muttered.

"Oh yes it can," Hermione laughed. "Your perfect little Slytherins are really perfect little Gryffindors."

"But both of them," Draco spluttered. "Not even Lyra stayed loyal. Wait until father hears about this."

"Do you honestly think Lyra wouldn't have wrote to him as well?" Hermione chuckled, still highly amused by her husband's reaction. "I bet that right now, he's reading a letter from Lyra informing him of exactly the same thing."

And of course, Hermione was right, and she and Draco were learning the news that the twins were both in Gryffindor, at Malfoy Manor, Lucius and Narcissa were doing the same. Not that Lucius was anywhere near as shocked as his son. His grandchildren were tough little fighters, and even there was a liberal side of Slytherin to their character, deep down they were true lionhearts. After all, they'd defied the odds both to be born, and to then to have magic, so where better place for two such children than the brave house of Gryffindor.


	2. A Family United

**A Family United.**

As she tied her long, dark blond hair up and checked her reflection in the mirror, Mia Malfoy, began to have second thoughts over what she was about to do. Ready to voice her doubts, she turned around to where her sister, Zara, was sprawled over the bed.

"Only you can make this call, Mia," Zara said, easily able to predict the misgivings her sister was having.

"But what if I make the wrong choice?" Mia asked in a quiet voice. "I've lived all this time without her. Why do I need to see her now?"

"I don't know," Zara replied with a shrug. "Only you can answer that."

"What would you do in my shoes?" Mia asked, desperate from some form of advice other than to make her own mind up. "If your father got in touch and wanted to see you, what would you do?"

"My biological father is a lying, cheating bastard who has never wanted anything to do with me, so I hardly think he's going to get in touch," Zara pointed out. "But if he did, I would tell him to take a running jump. I have a father, I don't need a sperm donor in my life as well."

"And I have a Mum," Mia whispered. "A Mum who has never let me down, and has always been there for me. Is it fair on her for me to be doing this?"

"Mum would never resent you for doing whatever you want to do," Zara said. "Besides, it's different for you. My father has never been a part of my life. He was out of the picture before I was even born. But your mother wasn't. She was with you for a couple of years, and then she tried to get you back."

"More like she tried to hold onto her boyfriend," Mia snorted.

She still recalled the awful time when she was small when her mother had waltzed back into her life and tried to take her away from her father, but over the years she'd come to learn the true story about the custody battle and what it had truly been about. To be honest, that alone should have been enough for her to ignore the letters from Astoria, when they had started to arrive after her seventeenth birthday. But the fact was, Mia had questions that her parents couldn't answer. They could give her their opinions, but they couldn't really tell her why Astoria had done the things she had, and more importantly if she ever regretted them.

It was the thought of finally getting some answers that had prompted Mia to agree to see Astoria now she'd left Hogwarts. Although another part of her reason for agreeing to meet her mother was to hopefully get some peace of mind before she started Healer training in a few weeks' time. At the moment she was so full of questions that she didn't think she stood a chance of reaching her potential, and she wanted to fix that before she started training for the job she'd wanted to do since she was a little girl.

"I know I said it was your choice, but I think we both know that you've made your choice," Zara said. "If you change your mind now, you'll only regret it in later years. Go and get the answers you deserve."

"And what about Mum and Dad?" Mia asked. "Neither of them have said as much, but I don't think either of them are happy about this meeting."

"They just don't want to see you get hurt," Zara said, getting off the bed and walking over to her sister. "None of us do," she added with a small smile. "Just come back to us."

"As if I would ever leave any of you," Mia said, embracing her sister and thanking her for her support.

"It's what sisters are for," Zara returned with a smile. "And speaking of sisterly duties, I promised Scorpius we could go flying. I'm going to teach him a few tricks. It'll be good for him to learn from a professional."

"You're not a professional yet, you haven't even had your first practice with the Falcons," Mia chuckled. While she was heading into Healer training, Zara had signed for a professional quidditch team and was determined to be a star, and knowing her sister Mia had every confidence it would happen.

Chuckling in response, Zara wished her sister good luck, before heading off to find their brother. Left alone in her bedroom, Mia fastened her silver eagle necklace around her neck. The necklace was a gift from her grandfather, and it represented the fact she'd been sorted into Ravenclaw. Zara also had a silver necklace, only hers was shaped like a lion as she'd been a Gryffindor. Mia always wore the necklace when she wanted luck. It had been with her during every exam she'd sat at Hogwarts, and she'd passed every one with flying colours.

Knowing that she would need much more than simple luck if the meeting with Astoria was going to be a success, Mia picked up her bag and making sure she had her wand, she left her bedroom. Instead of leaving straight away, she first headed for her father's study, as he was working from home while his office was being redecorated. Knocking on the door, her father called for her to enter without hesitation. Draco may have been working, but he always had time for his family.

"Hello, sweetheart," he greeted with a warm smile. "Are you off then?"

"In a minute," Mia replied. "But before I go, I need you to know something. I love you, and I have never once wished I was with Astoria. I wouldn't have wanted to grow up anywhere else, and with anyone else. I love you and I love Mum, and I think you're the best parents I ever could have hoped for."

"Thank you," Draco said softly. "But I've never doubted for a moment how much you love us. We understand why you want to go and see Astoria."

"Do you?" Mia questioned.

"Yes," Draco replied with a nod as he stood up and walked over to his daughter, taking her hands in his. "We can tell you our side of things, and why we think she might have done some of the things she did, but there's some stuff only she can explain. It's only natural you want some answers from her. In your shoes, I would be doing the same thing."

"So you're not mad I'm going to meet her?"

"I could never be mad at you," Draco promised his daughter as he gave her a kiss on the cheek. "I love you, and I fully support your decision to go and see Astoria. And just know that I will be here for you if you need me."

"You think she's going to hurt me?" Mia questioned.

"I don't think she can help herself," Draco replied with a sad smile. "I hope I'm wrong, and I hope she's changed since we last saw her."

"But you don't think so," Mia predicted.

"Let's just say my experiences with her makes it hard to give her the benefit of the doubt," Draco answered. "But I hope you get whatever you want to from the meeting."

"So do I," Mia muttered.

Saying goodbye to her father, Mia decided to visit her mother before leaving. Since the library had just been redecorated, Mia guessed it was the best place to find her mother, and sure enough she found Hermione in the library sorting through boxes of books. With her was the family's newest addition, two year old, Carina. Carrie had been a bit of a surprise to everyone, but the whole family doted on her and the second she spotted Mia, she cried out for her sister and held her arms out towards her.

"Hello little princess," Mia cooed, sweeping her baby sister up in her arms and covering her with kisses.

Putting a giggling Carrie back down with her toys, Mia turned to Hermione, who had been watching the pair of them with a smile on her face.

"Are you off?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Mia replied with a nod. "But before I went, I wanted to be sure you were okay with it."

"Of course I'm okay with it, Mia," Hermione insisted. "It's only natural you would want to get to know your mother."

"You're my mother," Mia said firmly. "You're the one who was there for me as I grew up. You will always be my Mum, and I will always love you."

"And I will always love you," Hermione said, sweeping Mia up into her arms. "But I understand why you want to see Astoria," she added. "I know it's nothing to do with me, or my abilities as a parent."

"Just so you know she could never take your place in my heart," Mia said. "I don't even know if I will see her after today, but I do need to speak to her as an adult. I need to hear what she has to say about the past."

"I understand," Hermione promised. "You go and get your answers, Mia. We'll all be here when you come back."

Struck by what a loving and supportive family she had, Mia headed off to meet her biological mother. She was meeting Astoria at a hotel in London, although when Astoria had suggested it, Mia was surprised that she didn't want to meet at the newest and trendiest hotel in Wizarding Britain. She knew enough about her biological mother to know she liked the high life, and while the hotel she'd asked to meet at had once been the best hotel in Wizarding Britain, it no longer had the same prestige.

Arriving at the hotel, Mia wondered if she would recognise Astoria. Her memories were of a highly fashionable, highly made-up blonde witch, and of course she had no pictures of her mother. However, the second she entered the bar area, she easily identified Astoria sitting in a corner booth. Although as a follower of high-end fashion, thanks to the influence of her stylish grandmother, Mia could see that while Astoria looked pretty good, the clothes she was wearing were several seasons old. And as she got closer she could see that time had ravished Astoria's beauty, and while she wore heavy make-up it didn't totally disguise the fact she was growing older and losing her looks.

"Mia," Astoria gasped, jumping up when she spotted her daughter.

"Astoria," Mia returned, noticing the way the older witch blanched when she used her first name.

"You can call me mother," Astoria offered as the pair of them sat down.

"I have a mother," Mia said, not wanting to give Astoria any false hope. Even if the meeting went well and they started to see each other on a regular basis, she would never truly be her mother.

"Okay," Astoria replied through gritted teeth. Her instinct was to point out that Hermione was not Mia's mother, but she knew that would only turn the meeting sour before it even began.

"I'm going to be honest with you," Mia began, well aware of what Astoria had wanted to do, or say, when she mentioned already having a mother. "I don't even know if I want you in my life. First you abandoned me when I was barely more than a baby, then after a few years you came back and tried to take me away from my family, and when that failed you vanished for over ten years. It's hard to want someone like that in your life."

"I understand that I haven't always been the best mother," Astoria conceded.

"The best mother, how about any mother at all?" Mia snorted. "I guess all I really want to know is why? What was so bad about me that you couldn't bring yourself to love me?"

"It was never about you, Mia," Astoria said honestly, not realising how selfish she sounded. "I was trapped. I wasn't ready for a child, and I was virtually forced to have one. I couldn't cope, and I wasn't happy, so I left. And I knew you would be much better off with Draco. Your father may have his faults, Mia, but he was a natural parent."

"So then why would you want to take me away from him a couple of years later?" Mia asked, for the moment ignoring the fact Astoria had made it all about her, as she still wanted some more answers. "Was it really all to keep hold of a boyfriend?"

"It was complicated," Astoria replied with a slight shrug. "Part of the reason was to keep Ron onside, but part of me did want you back. You're my daughter Mia, I felt we should have been together."

"Yet you walked away yet again when you lost," Mia pointed out. "If you'd really wanted a relationship with me, you would have stayed in touch."

"It would have been too hard," Astoria argued. "I wouldn't have been able to face seeing you for a few hours and then handing you back over to that mudblood bitch."

"Do not call my mother that name," Mia hissed. "She's twice the witch you'll ever be. You know what Astoria, I'm glad you left me. I'm glad I didn't have to grow up with someone so selfish as a mother. Even now, it's all about you, isn't it? I bet you don't even want a daughter. All you want is someone to go shopping with you, or to go to spas and to get pampered with."

"We can do that if it's what you want," Astoria offered. "If it's going to help us bond, I'll do anything."

"I don't need a shopping buddy," Mia said with a snort. "I've got a sister to go shopping with. Actually, I've got two sisters and a brother. But you're not interested in that, are you? You're not really interested in me."

"I am," Astoria insisted. "Please just give me a chance."

"Why should I?" Mia questioned. "You never gave me a chance. You left me as a baby, because it didn't suit you to have a child. You then tried to regain custody of me when having me would help you keep a man. And now what, you're bored and realised that I would be old enough so that you didn't have to look after me, so you decided to get in touch. Why did you get in touch now?"

"I knew once you were seventeen, your father couldn't stop you from meeting me," Astoria said. "Before that, he would have stopped any meeting between us. I couldn't get in touch before now, Mia. Draco wouldn't have allowed it."

"Dad may not have liked it, but he would have allowed it," Mia said confidently. She had every faith in her father, and she was sure he would have done the right thing for her if Astoria had chosen to get in touch sooner.

"I disagree," Astoria said with a delicate shrug of her shoulders. "We can't change the past, Mia, but we can make a fresh start. We can have the sort of relationship we were always meant to have."

"It's too late for that," Mia replied with a shake of her head. "I can see that you haven't changed. You would never be able to put me first. But thank you for answering my questions and proving to me once and for all that I wasn't the reason you left. I've always wondered if there was something wrong with me, and if I was the reason you didn't love me. But now I can see the truth. The only person you love is yourself. Everything you do is for yourself. You're incapable of putting another person before yourself."

"That's your father speaking," Astoria hissed. "He's poisoned you against me. Him and that bitch he married. They've turned you against me."

"No, they haven't," Mia stated. "In fact both Mum and Dad have been very careful not to say anything bad about you. I've had to get the whole picture from everyone else. Other people weren't as worried about not speaking badly about you. But Mum and Dad have let me make my own mind up about you, and I've done exactly that. I've lived my whole life without you, and I don't need you now."

"But what if I need you?" Astoria pleaded. "What if I need my daughter? I'm all alone, Mia. I have no-one else. My sister lives abroad and barely speaks to me, my parents have their own lives, and my partner died leaving me alone with barely any money. I need you."

"And there you go again," Mia said with a sad shake of her head as she rose to her feet. "It's all about you, Astoria. Maybe if you'd learnt to love other people, and had just once put someone else above yourself, you might not be alone. You walked out of my life because you weren't happy, and you can't walk back in now you're not happy with the life you chose. You chose not to be my mother, so guess what, you're not my mother. Goodbye Astoria."

Leaving Astoria to call after her despondently, Mia left the hotel and returned home to her family. Even though the meeting hadn't been a success, it had give her the closure she needed to move on with her life. Now she could get on with living her life and she never had to worry about the past again. She never had to worry that she was the reason her mother had left. The truth was, Astoria was just too selfish to be a mother, and even though she'd left for her own reasons, it turned out to be the best thing she'd ever done for her daughter. She'd given Mia a chance of a life away from her selfishness, and for that Mia would always be grateful as it meant she'd grown up with a loving family. A family Astoria would never be a part of, because as far as Mia was concerned, she was in the past and she would certainly not be part of her future.


	3. The World Cup

**A/N - I want to thank people for their suggestions for this series, and to assure you all that I am keeping a track of every idea which comes my way. Some of the stories suggested already have a piece written for them, and some were already in the pipeline, but I have also received some ideas I hadn't actually thought of. So keep your ideas coming, and I will keep updating and working on pieces for this story (as well as all the other stories I am working on, including the 3rd part in the darkness trilogy). But for now, enjoy the newest piece for The World Cup.**

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**The World Cup****.**

The opening match of the Quidditch World Cup always featured the defending champions, and as the World Cup began in France, that meant England would be opening the defence of the title they'd won four years previously in New Zealand. In that time they'd gone on to dominate world quidditch and they were the overwhelming favourites to regain the trophy. Not only were they still led by one of the best chasers in the world in Draco Malfoy, but they also had the world's best seeker in Harry Potter.

For the first match of the tournament there was a festival feel in the stands of the stadium erected on the outskirts of Paris, and Harry and Draco's friends and family had clubbed together to hire a private box for the match. In fact thanks to a few pulled strings by the two quidditch stars, their box was located right next to the official England box. Although since all their friends and family were in the next box, Draco and Harry's wives had chosen to forgo their seats in the official England box.

Everyone who had attended the World Cup final four years ago were present in the box, along with a few newcomers. Draco's friends Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle had managed to take the time off to attend the match, and they were thoroughly enjoying themselves. Another newcomer was Draco's godfather, Severus Snape, who had been working during the last tournament, but was now available and eager to see his godson in action. The Slytherin contingent were also joined by Sophia, the two year old daughter of Pansy and Theo Nott.

And there were also additions to the Gryffindor side of things, and Sirius had made the effort to be at the match right from the beginning. Weasley wise, Bill and Fleur were in attendance with their children, although Percy had once again found a reason not to attend. But the big difference was Ginny's presence. After their reunion at the previous World Cup, Ginny and Ron had kept their word and visited home, and predictably, Ginny had been lured home by her family. Now she was living back in England full-time, had a good job working for a luxury hotel resort, and always had wizards begging her for dates. But more importantly, she was once again part of the Weasley family and she was a doting aunt to her brother's children.

Sadly the same couldn't be said for Ron. While he hadn't lost touch with his family again, he'd yet to reconcile with them in the same way as Ginny had done. He still hadn't accepted Harry and Hermione's involvement with Slytherins, and he resented their presence as part of his family. As such, it meant his meetings with Harry and Hermione were always tense and it was clear their friendship was lost forever. However, to Molly's delight, he kept in touch and even though he was still living in New Zealand, he did visit occasionally and his nieces and nephews all knew who he was.

But the big additions to the box were the two children of England's two biggest stars. Draco and Hermione's son, Scorpius was now one year old, while Harry and Daphne's son, Jamie, was just six months. It was the first quidditch match for both children, and they were each dressed in replica quidditch jerseys. Scorpius's shirt had Draco's number on the back along with the name Malfoy, and Jamie's shirt had the name Potter and Harry's number on the back. Before entering the stadium, Hermione and Daphne had posed for a picture with the back of their sons jerseys on show and they both suspected the adorable shot would make the papers back home.

"Why am I so nervous?" Daphne asked Hermione as the teams were announced and the crowds went wild for England.

"I don't know, you should be used to this by now," Hermione laughed. "Especially with a match like this, where they're expected to win easily."

"Never underestimate your opponents," Daphne said seriously.

"Now you sound like Draco," Hermione remarked. "He's always saying that. According to him the fact England are favourites for the tournament puts more pressure on them."

"It does," Daphne agreed with a nod. "Harry is so much more stressed this time around. In New Zealand they were underdogs, and even though they had the talent to win, there was no pressure on them. But now, everyone expects him to catch the snitch every game."

"To be fair, he had a phenomenal season last year," Hermione said. "He set the record for the most consecutive matches the same seeker had caught the snitch."

"It was the excitement of fatherhood," Daphne laughed. "Harry reckons he played better last season as he was so excited to be a father. Besides, I think he wanted to out-do Draco. The season before when you had Scorpius, Draco was on fire."

"I'm not going to keep popping out the kids just to keep my husband at the top of his game," Hermione remarked.

"Don't you want more children?" Daphne asked as the two sets of Weasley twins, now nine and eight, ran down to the front of the box with their cousins.

"One more would be nice," Hermione admitted. "I'd like Scorpius to have a sibling. But I don't want too many."

"I want more," Daphne said with a smile. "In fact, Harry and I are gong to start trying again once the World Cup is over. We'd both love a big family."

"Why wait?" Hermione laughed. "If Harry is anything like Draco, winning a match gets him going. If they win as often as they should, you could be pregnant before the end of the tournament."

"Ooh, a quidditch baby, I like the sound of that," Daphne chuckled. "Let's hope they win today, so we can get started tonight."

Hoping that England did win, more so that Scorpius could witness a victory at his first match, Hermione turned her attention to the game as it got underway. Very quickly it became obvious that England were far superior than their opponents and they'd soon built up a healthy lead. Knowing it was only a matter of time before Harry caught the snitch and England won the game, Hermione gave Scorpius to Narcissa and wandered around the box to make sure everyone was having a good time.

After buying ice-creams for the children, Hermione ended up sitting next to Ginny. Despite the fact things had been awkward between them when Ginny first came back into the picture, things were now better than they'd ever been between the pair. Ginny had apologised several times for her past attitude, and she'd admitted more than once that she'd been immature and it had taken her a long time to grow up. But now she had grown up, and not only was she pleased that Hermione and Harry were happy with their respective lives, she was also contented with her own life.

"How are you enjoying the game?" Hermione asked.

"The game itself is a bit too one-sided to be really good," Ginny replied honestly. "But just being here is brilliant. I can't believe I almost lost all of this. I'm so grateful the last World Cup was in New Zealand."

"I think it was more to do with the fact you'd grown up," Hermione pointed out. "Let's face it, Ron had the same opportunity and he didn't take it. Even now, four years later, he's still out in the cold."

"But at least he's moving on with his life now," Ginny said. Even though Ron had been upset that she'd chosen to go home, they were still close and she was still the person who saw him the most. "He's got a girlfriend and they're looking to buy a house together. He's finally starting to live his own life and not wallow in what could have been."

"If it means he spends more time with the family, Molly will be pleased," Hermione said. "But enough about Ron. How are things going with you? Draco said you and Blaise had a date the other week."

"I wouldn't say it was a date, we just had a drink together," Ginny replied with a slight smile.

"I thought Draco said you spent the night together."

"Okay, so it was a drink and great sex," Ginny conceded. "Really great sex," she added with a smirk.

"I'm not sure Blaise is the settling down type," Hermione warned.

"Who says I am?" Ginny countered with a grin. "I'm not looking for a husband, Hermione. Maybe one day, but for now, I'm happy as I am."

"Having great sex with Blaise?" Hermione teased.

"Put it this way, if the opportunity arises again, I wouldn't say no," Ginny chuckled.

Pleased that Ginny was happy, Hermione returned to her seat next to Daphne just in time to see Harry catch the snitch and earn England a massive victory in the opening match.

"It's a great start," Daphne beamed as Hermione as they cheered on their husbands. "They're going to win the tournament again, I can feel it."

"Let's hope so," Hermione said as she took Scorpius back off her mother-in-law. "You want to see your Daddy winning the World Cup, don't you?" she cooed to her son.

"Da-da," Scorpius cried, waving his chubby hands in the air at the mention of his father.

"Yes, Da-da will be coming to see you soon," Hermione chuckled, pressing a kiss to her son's chubby cheek.

Sure enough both Harry and Draco paid a quick visit to the box, where they accepted the congratulations of their loved ones and had a quick cuddle with their sons. They then returned to their team-mates, and got back to the job in hand, which was winning the World Cup for the second tournament in a row.

Three weeks later at the very same stadium a box had once again been hired out to Draco and Harry's friends and family, and everyone watched in anticipation as England squeaked a tight game and won the World Cup for the second tournament in the row. And better news followed weeks later when Daphne announced she was pregnant, and when she gave birth to a baby girl, she was christened Paris, after the city where she'd been conceived.


	4. Unbreakable

**Unbreakable.**

Sundays at The Burrow were normally loud and packed with various members of the Weasley family. However, after learning the twins wouldn't be at dinner, and their reasons why, Molly Weasley contacted her other sons and asked them to make alternative arrangements for the day. But she didn't contact her youngest son and her only daughter, so when they turned up with their partners, the only people present were her and Arthur.

"Where is everyone?" Ron asked, amazed that they were the first to arrive.

"This is it," Molly answered tersely. "The twins had a prior engagement, and I asked everyone else to stay away."

"Why?" Ginny asked with a frown. "Nothing's wrong, is it? Are either of you ill?" she asked, her eyes darting between her parents, both of whom looked deadly serious.

"No-one is ill," Arthur answered. "But we would like you all to sit down so we can talk."

"So, what is wrong?" Ron questioned as he, Ginny, Harry and Lavender obediently settled down around the kitchen table. "Why are you both so serious?"

"When the twins called round to say they wouldn't be coming to lunch, they brought me up to date with a few things I wasn't aware of," Molly answered.

"Like what?" Ginny asked cautiously, not liking where she thought the conversation was heading.

"Hermione," Molly replied, not saying anything else until she got some reactions from her children.

"I might have known she was behind this," Ron grouched. "So what, you're angry that we didn't tell you that she was back? Why would that matter?"

"It's not about her being back," Molly said with a shake of her head. "It's about the lies you told us back when she was pregnant. I am the first to hold my hands up and admit I reacted badly when I first heard the news. But you know how much I regretted the way I acted. And I tried to make it right, at least I thought I did. But you never passed my message on, did you?"

"How could we?" Ron snorted. "In case it slipped your notice, she ran away and didn't bother to tell us where she was going. She just didn't come back to school, and didn't even have the decency to let us know."

"And why would she after the way she'd been treated by you?" Arthur questioned, his expression showing just how disappointed he was in his youngest two children. "You were happy to tell us about the abuse she was suffering, but you failed to mention you were part of it. You didn't support her. You turned on her like everyone else. And don't deny it, and say its her word against hers, as after the twins told your mother the full story we got in touch with Minerva McGonagall, and she confirmed everything. She told us how alone Hermione was in school, and how you four had turned your backs on her."

"How could you?" Molly questioned with a shake of her head. "Even if like me, you reacted badly. How could you not then see the error of your ways? How could you not see how much you were hurting her?"

"Fine, we didn't support her," Ron snapped. "But you know what, I'm glad we didn't. I bet the twins didn't bother to tell you who the father of her child is."

"We know exactly who she had her baby with," Arthur said. "And we also know that unlike what you led us to believe, he didn't abandon her. Unlike you four, he was there for her and stood by her."

"And how did we know that at the time?" Harry questioned. "She wouldn't tell us anything. We only had her word for it."

"And that should have been enough," Molly argued. "She was your friend, and you should have believed her. But instead you turned your backs on her. I'm ashamed of the lot of you."

"We're sorry," Ginny whispered. She hated her parents being mad at her, and she especially hated the disappointment she could see in their eyes when they looked at her.

"I might have believed that, if I didn't also know about more recent events," Molly said with a sad shake of her head. "As terrible as you acted, I might have been able to pass it off as youthful mistakes. In fact, that's exactly what I did do when Fred and George told me the truth. I thought that you would now be mature enough to admit your mistakes and apologise to Hermione."

"Never going to happen," Ron snorted as Harry nodded his agreement.

"I know that, because I also know you had the chance to apologise," Molly revealed. "You had the chance to try and make amends for your shocking lack of friendship. But I know you didn't take it. Instead you behaved like yobs, throwing insults and punches and then had the audacity to try and get Draco into trouble."

"He threw the punches, not us," Harry protested. "He assaulted us, and Kingsley let him get away with it."

"From what I heard, he was merely defending his wife's honour," Arthur remarked. "And it was incredibly low of you to try and get him into trouble. You're training to hold a position to uphold the law, not break it."

"I stand by my decision to report him," Harry said stubbornly. "He can't go around hitting people because he doesn't like them."

"And you can't go around insulting people and expect no comeback," Molly retorted. "This ends now. I would make you all go to Hermione and apologise, but I know it's too late for that. Instead, I am giving you all a final warning. You stay away from Hermione, and if I ever hear of one of you trying to cause trouble for her or her husband, there will be hell to pay. You've made your opinions of her clear, so do the decent things and stay away."

"Fine by us," Ron snorted. "I never want to set eyes on her again."

"That won't happen, as she's friends with the twins," Arthur cautioned. "Your paths are bound to cross at some time, and when they do, you better all behave. You've shamed this family enough. It's time to prove that you're not the terrible people you seem to be right now. Do the decent thing, and leave Hermione alone. Let her move on with her life and leave behind the bitter people she's far better off without."

"You can leave now," Molly said dismissively. "We've said our piece, and as far as we're concerned that's the end of it."

"But what about dinner?" Ron griped. "I'm starving."

"Feed yourselves for once," Molly snapped as she got to her feet. "Right now, I don't want to look at any of you. Get out of my house, and start proving yourselves to be decent human beings."

Not waiting to see if her children did as they were ordered, Molly headed upstairs where she waited until Arthur called up the stairs to let her know they were alone. Heading back downstairs, Molly made lunch for herself and her husband, while making plans to go and see Hermione and try and make amends for her past mistake.

* * *

As it turned out, it was several weeks before Molly finally plucked up the courage to speak to Hermione. Several times she'd gone to Diagon Alley with the intention of seeing Hermione, but she couldn't bring herself to actually go into Magical Bites. Even when she'd seen Hermione through the windows, she hadn't been able to bring herself to go in and face the young witch who had done nothing to deserve the way she'd treated her when she'd heard about her pregnancy.

In fact, Molly had even considered apologising via letter and had started to draft one before Fred had persuaded her otherwise. When Alicia had given birth to a beautiful baby girl named Sophie, Molly had missed running into a visiting Hermione at the hospital by mere moments, and Fred had persuaded her that it was time she and Hermione met face to face. In fact, he and George even arranged a meeting, and they'd personally escorted Molly to Magical Bites.

"Go on, she's waiting for you," George urged when Molly faltered outside of Hermione's shop.

"Wish me luck," Molly muttered as her boys virtually steered her into the shop and pointed her towards a quiet table where Hermione was sitting waiting.

After saying a quick hello to Hermione, the twins headed back to their own shop, leaving Molly and Hermione alone. For several seconds, Molly didn't know what to do and she stood awkwardly in front of the young witch she'd once known so well.

"Would you like a cup of tea and a cake?" Hermione asked, breaking the silence.

"How can you be so nice to me? I don't deserve your kindness," Molly muttered. "I'm so sorry Hermione. I am deeply ashamed of the way I behaved, and I am even more ashamed of the way my children acted."

"If you don't mind Molly, I would rather not discuss Ron, Ginny or Harry," Hermione said kindly, but firmly.

"I understand," Molly said with a nod. "And if your offer still stands, a cup of tea and a cake sound lovely."

Less than five minutes later, the pair were settled at the table with tea and cake. Molly still wasn't sure if she'd began to even make a dent in making amends with Hermione, so she profusely apologised for a second time.

"I accept your apology, Molly," Hermione said. "The twins told me how you regretted your reaction, and that you'd tried to apologise back then. I can't say it didn't hurt, but I can understand your reaction."

"I can't," Molly snorted. "I'm the last person who should have judged you. I guess I've spent so long trying to be upstanding and someone my children can look up to, that I forgot I've also got a past. A past I've never told my children about."

"I don't understand," Hermione said with a frown.

"I'm sure you know Arthur and I were childhood sweethearts," Molly said with a soft smile. "We were married within weeks of leaving Hogwarts, but love wasn't our only reason for marrying so quickly."

"You were pregnant," Hermione gasped.

"I was," Molly confirmed with a nod. "I only had a few months left at school when I fell pregnant, so it was easy to hide. But I shouldn't have judged you for something I'd also done."

"I guess the difference was, you were leaving school, I still had another year to go," Hermione said.

"It doesn't matter, I still shouldn't have judged you," Molly insisted with a rueful shake of her head. "I was so very wrong Hermione, and I am so very sorry for not being there for you."

"It's okay, everything worked out in the end," Hermione said with a smile. "Although I didn't realise you and Arthur had Bill at such a young age."

"Our plan was to say we'd conceived on honeymoon, and then when I had the baby, claim it was early," Molly said wistfully, recalling the incident from her past which even her children weren't aware. "But before we got a chance to announce our news, I lost the baby."

"Oh Molly, I'm so sorry," Hermione said sympathetically as she reached across the table to squeeze Molly's hand. "I had no idea."

"No-one does," Molly said with a sad smile. "Arthur and I never told a soul. But then it was only a year later that I fell pregnant with Bill, and as you know after that we had no problems with adding to the family. I guess the time was just never right to tell people about the child we lost."

"Will you tell them now?" Hermione asked.

"No, I don't think so," Molly replied with shake of her head. "It's in the past and I'd rather focus on the here and now."

"I certainly understand that," Hermione said with a smile. "And that's why I don't want to talk about Harry and Ron. They're my past, and right now, I'm looking to the future. I'm focusing on my ever expanding family."

"Expanding family? You're expecting again?" Molly asked.

"I am," Hermione replied with a grin. "And this time Draco and I won't be doing it alone. We've still got my parents, and now we've got Narcissa and Severus. Not to mention friends like Luna and the twins."

"I'm pleased," Molly said, genuinely happy for the witch sitting opposite her. "And I'm pleased everything has worked out for you."

"It really has," Hermione said with a thoughtful nod. "I do wish certain things had been different, but I wouldn't wish for a different outcome. No matter the difficulties, I don't regret having Lyra. I love her and Draco more than anything, and at the end of the day, that's all that matters."

"It is," Molly agreed.

Family really was the most important thing, and Molly had every faith her family would mend the rifts. It was true, things might never be the same between some of her children, and she would never be able to forget the way her youngest children had treated Hermione when she needed them the most. But no matter what she still loved Ron and Ginny, and ultimately she would forgive them. But the important thing was that she'd been forgiven by Hermione, and even if they were never closer than they were right now, Molly would always be grateful that Hermione was a kind enough person to forgive her past transgression and accept her apology like an adult.


	5. Masquerade

**Masquerade****.**

Dressed in a sweeping, shimmering black and gold gown, Hermione Malfoy wistfully ran her fingers over the dramatic green dress that hung in the corner of her wardrobe. The dress had been the one she'd worn to the masquerade ball almost five years. The dress she'd been wearing when she'd grabbed the attention of the wizard who was now her husband. Sadly the dress no longer fit her. Time, and the recent birth of her son, had changed her body shape and Hermione doubted she would ever fit into the dress again. Although she also knew she would never get rid of the dress as it held so many fond memories.

"Let's hope this one does the same," she muttered, closing her wardrobe door and turning to the floor length mirror in the corner of the room.

The gorgeous black and gold dress Hermione was wearing had been designed especially for her. The strapless bodice of the dress was delicately decorated with gold thread and the design ran down one side of the skirt, slowly getting smaller so she only had a smattering of gold on the hem of her skirt. The rest of the dress was plain black, but it had a charm woven into the material that made the dress shimmer slightly when she moved. The dress may not have been as overtly sexy as the one she'd worn at the previous masquerade ball, but it was still stunning and Hermione knew she looked good.

To complete the look, she added an elaborate gold mask over the top half of her face. Now she was ready for her second masquerade ball, this one in honour of her anniversary. Draco had actually suggested they throw a masquerade ball to celebrate their first wedding anniversary the previous year, but Hermione had been pregnant, and even though it had been very early days, she had endured a rough start to her pregnancy. In fact she was pretty sick for the first six months, so the party had ended up being cancelled. However, now there was no reason to cancel the party and waiting downstairs to celebrate with them were all their friends and family.

The party was being held at Malfoy Manor, where Hermione and Draco lived with Draco's parents, and Hermione had to chuckle to herself when she found virtually the same rooms as the previous party had been allocated to play host to their anniversary masquerade. The difference was, she knew more of the guests and no-one had bought their way into the party.

Travelling from room to room, Hermione greeted the guests all while keeping an eye out for her husband. She hadn't seen Draco since earlier that afternoon, but he'd promised to see her at the party. However, she couldn't see any sign of her missing husband. She found friends of both of them, and she even spotted Draco's parents, but her husband was missing in action.

"What's wrong?" a voice asked from behind her and Hermione turned to find her mother-in-law, looking ravishing in a sexy deep red dress and matching mask complete with elaborate feathers.

"I can't find Draco," Hermione replied with a slight sigh.

"I saw him an hour ago," Narcissa said. "He said he was going to get ready."

"He never came back to our room," Hermione frowned. "When he took Scorpius over to my parents, he said he would see me at the party. He must have had his clothes somewhere else."

"He'll be here," Narcissa assured her daughter-in-law. "Maybe he's already here and you just can't find him with all the masks."

"Because that's very likely," Hermione chuckled. At the previous party she'd found Draco easily because of his very distinctive platinum blond hair, but the only person she'd seen with the same distinctive hair this evening was her father-in-law, who stood out even more considering his hair was far longer than his sons.

"I see your point," Narcissa conceded with a laugh as her own eyes caught sight of her husband, who stood out from the crowd despite the fact his face was covered with a deep red mask that perfectly matched her gown. "But keep looking, he will turn up. It was just an hour ago that I saw him, maybe he's still getting dressed."

"Now that I can believe," Hermione said, starting to feel better about the fact her husband was nowhere to be seen as she considered the possibility he was still upstairs somewhere primping in front of a mirror.

Feeling confident that her husband would show his face sooner or later, Hermione vowed to enjoy the party. However, half an hour later there was still no sign of her husband, and she was beginning to get annoyed. It wasn't like Draco to let her down, and she was getting sick of answering questions about where her husband was, and why he hadn't made an appearance at his own party.

"A beautiful woman like you should not be frowning on a glorious evening like this," a silky voice suddenly purred in her ear and an arm appeared in front of her holding a glass of champagne. "Have a drink."

"Thank you, but I don't want a drink," Hermione replied, barely glancing at the wizard who had approached her. The brief look she did flick his way was enough to tell her that it wasn't Draco as he had dark hair above his black and gold mask.

"Then what do you want?" the wizard asked, seemingly determined not to be put off by Hermione's frosty attitude.

"My husband to put in an appearance," Hermione answered, her eyes still scanning the crowds for her missing partner.

"You mean some lucky sod is married to you and he's stupid enough to neglect you?" the wizard laughed, giving Hermione a sinful smirk. "He doesn't deserve you."

"Perhaps not," Hermione replied, finally focusing on the wizard in front of her and spotting a few things she hadn't noticed at first. Like the fact he was exactly Draco's height, had the same sparkling grey eyes as her husband and had the same infuriatingly sexy smirk.

"Champagne?" he offered again, holding out the glass he was still carrying.

"I think I will," Hermione said with a smile as she took the champagne flute offered to her. "Cheers!"

Knocking back the champagne, Hermione returned to the empty glass to the wizard whose identity she was confident she now knew, and promptly spun around to walk away from him.

"Where are you going?" the wizard behind her asked with a pout.

"To enjoy the party," Hermione shot back over her shoulder. "Just because my husband has failed to show up doesn't mean I can't have some fun."

"What sort of fun?"

"I don't know yet, I'll just have to see what comes up," Hermione purred, giving the mysterious wizard a lingering look before sauntering away from him, well aware that his eyes were following her every move.

Traversing her way through the party, occasionally stopping to chat to guests, Hermione was well aware she was being watched. However, not once did she turn and acknowledge the wizard who was following her every move. She merely carried on as though he wasn't there and slowly made her way out of the manor and into the gardens for some fresh air. Once in the gardens she followed the path down to the rose gardens, which were lit with magical firefly's hanging in mid-air inside ornate glass jars.

The light from the jars ended at a couple of benches which marked the entrance to a small maze. Pulling her wand out of the small bag she was carrying, Hermione flicked it towards one of the jars and sent it slowly into the maze. Following the jar, which she'd enchanted to lead her to the middle of the maze, Hermione stepped into the dark maze all the time knowing she was being followed. Once she'd turned several corners and was truly inside the maze, she halted the firefly jar and turned back around, just as the wizard she'd been talking to earlier rounded the corner.

"Are you following me?" Hermione asked in a teasing voice.

"I thought since your husband has neglected you, I should be a gentleman and look out for you," he replied.

"I can assure you I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Hermione returned.

"I'm sure you can," the wizard purred as he advanced closer to Hermione. "But someone as beautiful as you shouldn't have to take care of yourself. You should have someone to cater to your every need."

"I have someone, I have a husband," Hermione countered.

"But where is he?" the wizard returned with another smirk. "I don't see him coming to your rescue."

"And why do I need rescuing?" Hermione asked with an amused smile.

"You might get lost in the maze," the wizard returned seriously.

"I won't," Hermione replied confidently as she unfroze the firefly jar and once again began to follow it deeper into the maze. "Are you coming?" she called over her shoulder.

"That's the general idea," the wizard behind her muttered, causing Hermione to chuckle as for a moment his husky voice had dropped and she clearly heard her husband's familiar drawl.

Hermione expertly led the way into the centre of the maze, where a bench sat beside a small fountain. It was a beautiful place to sit on a warm day, and even in the moonlight it looked inviting. Not to mention very secluded and romantic.

"You never did tell me your name," Hermione remarked as she settled on the bench, her skirt taking up almost the entire seat.

"Neither did you," the wizard countered.

"You mean you're at my party, but don't know my name?" Hermione pouted. "How rude."

"Okay, I know your name," he conceded. "Mrs Malfoy," he said in a low purr that send shivers down Hermione's spine.

"And yours?" Hermione asked.

"You can call me whatever you like," he replied, flashing her a quick smile.

"How about a pleasant distraction," Hermione asked. "I take it you did follow me in order to seduce me."

"What would your husband say?" the wizard asked, moving towards the bench and squatting down in front of where Hermione was sitting.

"If he had anything to say on the matter, he should have been here," Hermione purred, taking hold of the wizard's hand and sliding it under her dress.

Without needing to be prompted, the wizard in front of her slowly slid his hand up her leg. As his hand slid higher, Hermione parted her legs and she couldn't contain a smug smirk when the wizard caressing her let out a surprised hiss and gazed up at her with glittering grey eyes.

"You're not wearing any underwear," he stated, his long fingers sliding through her slick folds.

"Oh dear, I knew I was forgetting something," Hermione teased. "How naughty of me."

"How convenient of you," the wizard chuckled, reaching up to brush his lips against the lower half of her cheek which was exposed underneath her elaborate mask.

"Very," Hermione agreed as she abruptly knocked his hand away from under her skirt and got to her feet.

"What are you doing?" he asked, clearly baffled as he almost toppled over onto the floor.

"Get up," Hermione ordered. "Sit down," she continued when he did exactly what he was told.

Once he was seated, Hermione gave her mysterious wizard a languid kiss as her deft fingers got to work unbuckling his dark trousers. Suddenly realising what she was doing, the wizard helped her out by lifting his hips and sliding his trousers and underwear down the top of his legs.

"Very nice," Hermione whispered, licking her lips at the sight of his very erect manhood.

"It could be better," he pointed out.

"I hope so," Hermione replied with a chuckle as she moved forward and raising her skirts slightly she straddled her mysterious lover.

With her black and gold skirts falling around them, Hermione lowered herself onto her lover. Anyone who saw them wouldn't be able to tell that underneath her dress they were intimately joined, but Hermione knew that if anyone did see them then they would know exactly what they were doing. Not that she cared right now, as she had a sexy wizard buried inside her and all she wanted to do was make love to him.

"I do love a witch who knows what she wants," the wizard below her purred as one of his hands slid under her dress and made its way to where they were joined.

"Good, because right now I want you," Hermione replied, lowering her head to her lovers. "Make me scream," she whispered against his lips.

"With pleasure," the wizard replied, connecting their lips in a searing kiss as together they began to move.

Their years of intimacy belied their act of not knowing each other, and if anyone had been watching, they would have been left in no doubt that the couple making love in the middle of the maze had done so before. Without needing to say anything their bodies moved together in perfect harmony and each knew just what the other liked, and what turned them on. And when they did both reach the peak of their pleasure, they tumbled over the edge within seconds of each other.

"I hope that lived up to expectations," he whispered against Hermione's neck as they recovered, despite the fact she'd made no move to remove herself from his lap.

"There is one thing," Hermione said as she raised her head and gazed into familiar grey eyes.

"What?"

"The hair," Hermione answered with a slight frown. "I don't like it. Turn it back."

With a chuckle, the wizard reached into his pocket and removed his wand. Once quick spell later the dark hair was gone and Hermione was straddling a wizard with very distinctive platinum blond hair.

"Better?" Draco asked with a smirk.

"Much," Hermione replied, gently running her fingers through her husband's soft blond hair.

"Happy Anniversary, sweetheart," Draco said with a smile.

"Happy Anniversary," Hermione returned with a smile of her own. "I guess we should be getting back to the party."

"Not just yet," Draco returned with a smirk. "I think I'm getting my second wind."

"Hmm, sounds good to me," Hermione purred, pressing herself closer to Draco as they prepared to have more fun in the maze.

Of course they would return to the party in good time, but for now they were happy reliving memories of their first night together, and celebrating the fact that they were still as happy as ever after two years of marriage and had many more ahead of them.


	6. Deception

**Deception.**

Harry awoke with a start, jerking up in bed, cold sweat dripping down his back. A glance at the clock showed it was just after two in the morning. Not that Harry was surprised by the middle of the night wake-up, as it was a habit. Barely a night went past when he didn't suffer from nightmares so bad that they woke him up. Virtually every night he found himself in the same situation - gasping for air in the middle of the night as images of his dead best friend swam in front of his eyes.

"What do you want from me, Ron?" he whispered to the empty bedroom, even though he knew it wasn't Ron who was haunting him, it was his own conscience.

Already able to tell he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep straight away, Harry flicked on the lamp beside his bed. He then propped himself up against the headboard, and considered the question he'd been avoiding for longer than he cared to remember. How much longer could he live with the guilt?

It had been five years since he'd discovered the truth about what had happened the day Ron had died, and who exactly had killed him. And while at the time, he felt he'd done the right thing in keeping Ginny's secret, the lies were starting to weigh on his conscience. With each passing week he was finding it harder and harder to keep quiet about what he knew about Ginny, and the guilt was starting to affect every aspect of his life.

As an Auror, Harry was duty bound to uphold the law and catch the criminals. However, every-time he arrested someone, or witnessed justice being done in the courts, he hated himself for harbouring a killer. In his heart he knew that Ginny should have been held accountable for her actions, and by keeping quiet, he himself was guilty of crimes no Auror should even contemplate committing.

His guilt was also affecting his relationship with the Weasleys. Whenever he saw them he felt so bad for not telling them the truth about Ron. And even though he knew the truth would devastate them, he couldn't help but thinking that they still deserved it, no matter how painful it was. Was it really doing them any good to be totally oblivious as to how their son had died, and what role their daughter had played in it?

And as for Ginny herself, Harry avoided her like the plague, but when they did see each other things were incredibly strained. To Harry's eyes Ginny had merely gotten on with her life once the threat of being found out had passed, and if she was remorseful over what had happened, she hid it well from Harry. Although to be fair, Harry didn't know what Ginny was like behind closed doors and for all he knew, but he doubted it, she could also be troubled by nightmares and spent most of her nights awake, pondering on her mistakes.

Harry's love life was another area that had been affected by the burden he was carrying. He had tried dating, but whenever it looked as though things were going to get serious, he panicked and ended things. While Harry wanted love, he knew he also wanted honesty, and as long as he was hiding Ginny's secret, he could never be truly honest with anyone. And if that was the case, how was he ever supposed to maintain a relationship?

With so much on his mind, and the lack of sleep, Harry's health was also starting to deteriorate. He'd lost a lot of weight, he was easily distracted at work, and several times lately his mind had gone blank while trying to arrest a suspect. Fortunately, no crimianls had gotten away as Harry hadn't been on his own at the time, but he knew his superiors eyes were on him, and if he wasn't careful he would lose his job.

"Maybe it's what I deserve," he muttered.

The only problem was, Harry knew that if he lost his job, he really wouldn't have anything to live for. Without his job, he would just let the guilt eat away at him, and before he knew it, he would be joining Ron in the afterlife. But wasn't he in danger of doing just that anyway?

Harry knew he couldn't carry on the way he had been, and deep down he knew what the answer was. All night he allowed himself to really think about what needed to be done. What should have been done five years ago. However, before he made his final decision, there was someone he wanted to talk to. Someone's advice he wanted to get.

Even though he'd been awake most of the night, Harry still rose from his bed early, and he forced himself to wait until a reasonable hour before he left the house and popped into the office. At work he broke the rules to find an address for personal reasons, and with it in his possession he headed off to see his ex-girlfriend.

Harry hadn't seen Hermione since just after he'd decided to keep Ginny's secret. Once Ginny had signed the divorce papers, and he'd promised to keep quiet, Harry had met with Hermione and informed her of what was happening. He still didn't know if Hermione approved of his decision to allow Ginny to get away with killing Ron, but she did thank him for his help in the divorce. And she'd also made it clear that as far as she was concerned, that meeting was their last. She'd moved on, and she had no place in her life for Harry. Not that Harry could blame her in the slightest, and if he hadn't been in such a mess, he would have respected her wishes and would have stayed well away and allowed her to live her life with Draco in peace.

Before he could change his mind, Harry apparated to the house Hermione shared with her now husband, and not giving himself a chance to chicken out, he virtually ran up the garden path and banged on the front door. After a few minutes the door opened, and Harry's words stuck in his throat as he was confronted with a pregnant Hermione. She wasn't huge, and he doubted she was about to go into labour anytime soon, but she had a distinct baby bump.

"Harry." Hermione's tone was neutral, although her shocked expression revealed how unexpected his visit, and his dishevelled appearance, was.

"I'm sorry to bother you Hermione, but I really need to talk to you."

Hermione considered Harry's words for a couple of minutes, before she opened the door wider and invited Harry inside. She then led Harry through the house and into a large, bright kitchen, where Draco was sitting at the kitchen table.

"What is he doing here?" the blond demanded, jumping to his feet the second he saw Harry.

"He needs to talk to me apparently," Hermione said, sitting down and urging both Harry and Draco to join her. "Although, I really don't know what we could have to say to each other."

"It's about Ginny," Harry admitted as he tentatively took a seat. Draco had also sat down, but Harry was guessing that he would be on his feet in an instant if something was said he didn't approve of.

"Just why would we want to discuss that bitch?" Draco snarled, his jaw tensing at the mere mention of his ex-wife.

"I'm not sure I can do it any-more," Harry confessed in a broken voice.

"Do what?" Hermione asked.

"Cover for her," Harry replied. "At the time, I was convinced I was doing the right thing. I was sure I was protecting the Weasleys, not her. I kept her secret to stop the truth hurting the family."

"So what's changed?" Hermione questioned, wondering if whatever it was had something to do with how downtrodden and beaten Harry was looking these days. "All that pain is still waiting for the Weasleys if you tell the truth."

"I know," Harry whispered. "But lying is breaking me. I can hardly look the Weasleys in the eye any-more. I avoid them as much as I can, as it's too painful to be around them and know the truth. And I can barely function at work. I'm meant to uphold the law, but the fact I've covered for a murderer eats at me daily. I can't live with the guilt."

"What do you want me to do about that?" Hermione asked in confusion. "I can't take away your guilt, Harry. You made the decision to cover for Ginny."

"Do you never feel guilty?" Harry asked. "Do you never feel bad for knowing the truth, and knowing that justice hasn't been done?"

"Don't you pin this on us, Potter," Draco warned in a low, menacing voice. "Our consciences are clear. We turned Hermione's memories over to an Auror. It's not our fault, he chose not to act upon them."

"Is that really how you see things?" Harry asked Hermione. "Is it really that black and white for you?"

"Of course it's not," Hermione replied quietly. "Every day I wonder if we did the right thing. But Draco is right, we gave the memories to you, and you chose to suppress them. True, we could have gone to the Ministry with a second set, but to be honest, all we really wanted was to be free. You helped us achieve that Harry, so I didn't really think it was fair to go to the Ministry with more memories and get you into trouble."

"Trouble or not, I think I have to follow my conscience," Harry admitted with a sigh. "This lying is sending me to an early grave. I need to do the right thing."

"Just make sure you do the right thing by Hermione," Draco ordered. "Spin whatever tale you want for the Ministry, but do not get my wife into trouble. I promise you Potter, I will make you pay if you drag Hermione into this mess."

"I promise neither of you will get in trouble," Harry vowed. "As you said, you gave the memories to an Auror. You expected justice to be done. I perverted that justice, and I'm the one who needs to pay the price."

"You'll lose your job," Hermione pointed out. "I'm not saying don't do the right thing, Harry, but don't let Ginny destroy your life."

"Hermione's right," Draco reluctantly agreed. "That devious little cow has caused enough problems for enough people, don't let her bring you down as well, Potter."

"I can't bring her to justice and avoid my part in proceedings," Harry argued. "Like it or not, I'm guilty of perverting the course of justice. Not to mention covering for a killer. I deserve everything that's coming my way."

"No Harry, you don't," Hermione said gently. "You were just trying to protect the people you love. Given your job, it probably wasn't the wisest of moves, but your heart was in the right place."

"Maybe it was, but now my heart is laden down with guilt," Harry replied. "I need to put things right. I need to get justice for Ron."

"Then do it the Slytherin way," Draco suggested as an idea came to him. "Do you still have Hermione's original memories?"

"Yes," Harry answered with a nod.

"Find a way to slip them into someone else's investigation," Draco ordered. "When they're viewed, someone will realise what they are. You can then claim that they must have accidentally gotten mixed up with another case."

"But the memories aren't crystal clear," Harry pointed out. "It took me quite a while to see what I needed to see. And I'm not sure anyone who doesn't know Ginny, would spot her in the memories."

"The memories don't have to be crystal clear, all they have to do is grab the interest of another Auror," Draco pointed out. "You can even tell them most of the truth. That Hermione gave you the memories, but before you could view them they were dropped and tainted. You can even explain how you tried to have them cleaned up, but they weren't clear enough for you to then see anything. Just whet someone else's appetite, Potter. What would you do if something like this fell into your lap?"

"I'd push to try and find an answer," Harry admitted. "But then won't they question why I didn't try harder to view the memories? It'll look like I just gave up."

"It'll look like you couldn't bring yourself to keep viewing your best friend's death," Hermione said. "It's an option, Harry, and it's one that might just save your career."

"Not to mention your relationship with the Weasleys," Draco added. "This way, you're not the one who turns their murderous daughter into the authorities."

"Ginny will tell everyone that I knew the truth," Harry pointed out.

"I'm sure you can make sure you talk to her before she's interviewed," Draco replied with an unconcerned shrug. As far as he was concerned, they'd been more help than Harry deserved and he wasn't going to solve every little problem for him. "Explain that you had nothing to do with the memories ending up in another investigation. Hell, even promise to do everything you can to help her. Use your brains, Potter, and she needs never to know that you orchestrated the entire thing."

Sensing that he'd received all the help he was going to get from the Malfoys, Harry thanked them for their time, congratulated them on the baby, and headed home to think. He was now convinced that the truth had to come out, but he was torn over how to achieve it. Did he just do the easy thing and admit the truth to his superiors? Of course it would mean losing his job, and maybe even his freedom. Not to mention the criminal record he'd get for his trouble. Or did he do as Draco suggest, and get creative with the truth? Did he appease his conscience by outing Ginny as a killer, but still keep his own life in the process?

In the end, Harry contemplated the matter for nearly a month before deciding that Ginny had destroyed enough lives without adding his to the mix. So taking on board Draco's suggestion, he did exactly as the former Slytherin had suggested and accidentally mixed Hermione's memories into an ongoing investigation by another set of Aurors.

From there on, things ran pretty much as Draco had predicted. His colleagues interests were piqued, and they fully understood why Harry hadn't been able to bring himself to constantly study the foggy memories. It did take them quite a while to pick out the vital bit of evidence in the memories, especially as they had their initial investigation to contend with as well, but eventually Ginny's role in Ron's death was exposed to the world.

Harry even managed to speak to Ginny as Draco suggested, and convince her that he had nothing to do with her exposure. And whether it was the guilt over what she'd done, or just her being considerate and not wanting to take anyone else down with her, Ginny never mentioned the fact Harry had known she'd killed Ron.

Of course the truth devastated the Weasleys, but they never blamed Harry for the turn of events.

And as for Harry, while he felt slightly guilty for exposing Ginny while protecting himself, the guilt he felt over covering for Ron's killer eased. He began to sleep again at night, his health improved and he once again began to feel as though he was a decent person and had a right to be an Auror. It may have taken him longer than it should have, but he'd brought Ron's killer to justice and he felt as though his friend could finally rest in peace.


	7. The Mistress? 2

**A/N - This is the second piece for The Mistress, and while the first one took place years after the story, this takes place following the final chapter. This piece focuses on Harry and Ginny rather than Draco and Hermione, but I hope people will still enjoy it.**

* * *

**The Mistress?**

When Harry arrived home from welcoming Hermione and the babies home, he fully expected his wife to ask how his afternoon had been. However, Ginny blatantly ignored the fact he'd been out all afternoon and instead prattled on about how she'd spent her day. As Ginny continued to ignore the fact he'd spent the afternoon with Hermione, Harry realised it was an issue he was going to have to deal with. To be honest he'd been avoiding confronting Ginny over her attitude towards Hermione, but he knew Hermione was going to be a major part of his life again, and he needed to know what his wife's problem was with his friend.

Not wanting to get into a possible argument in front of the children, Harry waited until the boys were tucked up in bed before he raised the topic of Hermione with his wife.

"Are you going to ask me how this afternoon went?" he asked.

"I take it everything was fine, or else you would have said something," Ginny replied with a disinterested shrug. "And let's guess, the twins have magic after all."

"The twins are like every other child, and only time will tell if they're magical," Harry answered, slightly taken aback by the venom in Ginny's tone. "But is there really any need to sound so bitter about it? After everything Hermione and Malfoy have been through, wouldn't it be good if their children were magical?"

"You only have Hermione's word that there was even any problems with the pregnancy," Ginny pointed out cattily. "It's not like you've been in contact these last few years. She could tell you anything she wants about her life, and you would never know if it was true."

"No-one would lie about such tragic events," Harry argued. "And certainly not Hermione."

"Heaven forbid precious Hermione isn't perfect," Ginny snarled in disdain.

"Just what is your problem, Ginny?" Harry demanded sharply, having just about enough of his wife's attitude. "Why do you hate Hermione so much? And don't deny that you do," he pre-empted, knowing that she was about to protest. "You were so disappointed when it turned out she wasn't Lucius's mistress. Why were you so desperate for her to be a mistress?"

"Because maybe then you and Ron would see that she's not perfect," Ginny hissed.

"We don't think she's perfect," Harry replied in bewilderment.

"Of course you do," Ginny snorted. "You always have. Ever since the pair of you met her, you put her on a pedestal and she can do no wrong in your eyes."

"That is not true, Ginny," Harry argued. "She's our friend, and we love her, but we don't idolise her. She's human just like us, and she makes mistakes just like us."

"You wouldn't think it the way you and Ron behave," Ginny retorted. "Even now, you're fawning all over her, when she was the one who left without giving either of you a second thought. She ran off, Harry. She went on sodding holiday and never returned, yet you and Ron never blamed her for not getting in touch."

"She wasn't the only one to blame for losing contact," Harry protested. "In case you'd forgotten, she invited me to visit her when she first decided to stay away. I put off because you said you wanted to go with me, yet when you finished school you always had an excuse not to go. And then time just passed and contact dried up. Hermione didn't cause that, we all did. We all know what mistakes we made, and that includes Hermione."

"I doubt she considers her choices mistakes," Ginny snorted bitterly. "After all, she's got a handsome, rich husband, a beautiful house that should have been mine and now she's even got two perfect children."

"You're jealous of her," Harry muttered in understanding.

"I am not jealous of Hermione," Ginny hissed.

"It certainly sounds like it," Harry said gently, letting the hurt he felt show to his wife. "It sounds like I'm not good enough for you. I'm sorry I'm not as rich or as good-looking as Malfoy. And I'm sorry that we lost the house, but I then let you spend a fortune doing this one up. And I'm really sorry that our wonderful children are not good enough for you."

"Harry, I never meant it like that," Ginny protested, genuinely sounding apologetic. "I love you, and I love our boys. And I certainly didn't mean to sound ungrateful about the house. I know we would like somewhere bigger, but the redecoration is perfect for now. I wouldn't change my life for anything."

"It certainly wasn't sounding like that," Harry said quietly. "You sounded jealous of Hermione, and I really don't know why. I love her as a friend, that's all. You're the only witch I've ever been in love with."

"I never considered her a rival for your affections," Ginny admitted with an amused chuckle, which showed how funny she considered the idea of Hermione as a love rival.

"So why the jealousy?" Harry asked.

"I've told you, Harry. You and Ron had her on a pedestal, and how was anyone supposed to compete with that? How was I ever going to live up to perfect Hermione Granger? I'm not as smart as her, and I can't master spells in one go like she can. I can't do everything like she seemingly can. Even the fact she's not the most attractive witch in the world matters. She was the talking point of the Yule Ball, and not just because she went with Krum. Hell, even Malfoy and the Slytherins noticed her."

"I don't really know what you want me to do with that, Ginny," Harry confessed. "I can't change the fact that you seem to have a different recollection of the past than I do. Ron and I never worshipped Hermione, and I never once compared you to her. She's our friend, and yes she is amazing in many ways, but she's far from perfect. Did you just ignore the times we fell out in school? Did you ignore the arguments Ron and I had with her when she tried to push us into spending as much time in the library as she did? I don't know why you took against Hermione, but it's clouded your judgment."

"Or maybe you just don't want to admit it," Ginny countered. "Maybe you don't want to admit you idolised a girl who ran off and ignored you for years. Instead you're happy to just welcome her back into your life as though nothing had happened."

"Nothing has happened, other than life getting in the way," Harry pointed out. "We were friends who lost touch, and now we've been reunited. I can see now that a friendship between the pair of you will be impossible, but I don't want this toxic attitude to continue."

"You're calling me toxic?" Ginny whispered, clearly hurt by Harry's words.

"Right now, yes," Harry answered. It hurt him to say these things, but he knew they needed saying if they were to move on. "I love you Ginny, but at the moment, I'm so disappointed and disgusted with you. I don't care what your real problem with Hermione is, from now on you keep it to yourself. She's my friend, and I will not lose her again. You are going to have to learn how to be polite to her."

"Or what?" Ginny asked, hearing the threat in her husband's voice.

"Or else we're going to have some serious problems," Harry replied quietly. "Hermione is not a threat to you, or to our lives together. I'm not asking you to be her best friend. All I want is some maturity. Your paths are going to cross from time to time, and is it too much to ask that when that happens, you can be civil towards her? Please Ginny, all I want is a quiet life."

"Fine," Ginny huffed, reluctantly accepting her husband's terms. "But for the record, there will come a time when Hermione's halo slips, and you will see she's not perfect."

"I already know she's not perfect, Ginny," Harry said with a sigh, frustrated that nothing he'd said seemed to have penetrated his wife's thick head. "The problem doesn't lie with mine and Ron's perception of Hermione. It's lies with your view of how we see her. The problem isn't ours, Ginny, it's yours. For all of our sakes, solve it before you tear us apart."

Hoping that his stark warning about what Ginny was risking if she carried on the way she had been, Harry left his wife to ponder their conversation. Thankfully his words seemed to sink in, and while she and Hermione were never close, Ginny did at least make the effort and was polite every-time the two witches came into contact. It wasn't ideal, and Harry would have loved if his wife and best friend had been close, but at least it kept tensions at a minimum and it ensured that he didn't lose either his friend or his wife.


	8. New Beginnings

**New Beginnings.**

Ron Weasley clutched his pint glass, trying desperately to feel as light-hearted and happy as everyone else around the table. Sadly, Ron couldn't capture the same enthusiasm as the others, and deep down he knew he never would. In all honesty, he didn't want to be sitting in The Golden Peacock, sharing drinks with people he wished weren't a part of his life.

When Ron had first returned home, he'd had such high hopes of building himself a new life among his friends and family. But then revelations at Danny's birthday party had changed everything. As odd as it had been, he had accepted Seamus as the father of Ginny's son, and now they were a proper couple, he was even genuinely happy for them as they awaited the birth of their second child. However, it was a different story with Hermione and Harry.

Even a year after finding out who Hermione was married to, Ron still struggled with the idea of his former girlfriend being a Malfoy. It still tore his heart to shreds whenever he saw Hermione with her husband, but worse of all was the fact that Ron knew he only had himself to blame for the predicament. He may have disliked Malfoy, but even he had to admit that the blond had been right when he'd told him what an idiot he'd been to let Hermione go. Even so, it stung to know that Malfoy had been the one to benefit from his stupidity.

As for Harry, Ron felt as though the friend he'd known since starting Hogwarts had gone. Annoyingly, but at the same time understandably, Harry had made it clear that his loyalty was with Hermione and if Ron wanted back into his life, he would have to accept the Slytherins. And Ron had tried to do that, even if he knew he could never be friends with them, he had tried to accept they were a part of his life. But even then, there was a distance between him and Harry, and Ron didn't know how to bridge it.

As laughter broke into Ron's thoughts, he glanced across the table to the two people he most blamed for his feeling of no longer belonging – Malfoy and Zabini. He blamed Malfoy for stealing Hermione's heart, and being more supportive of her than he'd ever been. Ginny had been more than forthcoming about the ways Draco had supported Hermione, and her independence, while pointing out how much Ron had let his former girlfriend down. And of course he blamed Malfoy for the Slytherins in their lives, as if he hadn't wormed his way into Hermione's affections then there was no way Harry would be friends with someone like Zabini.

As for Zabini, Ron blamed him for taking his role in Harry's life. Even though Ron was now back, he knew he no longer occupied the coveted place as Harry's best friend. After Hermione, his closest friend was clearly Zabini. Even when Ron did manage to get some time alone with Harry, without the annoying Slytherin butting in, most of Harry's stories revolved around the Slytherin in some way. Quite honestly he was sick and tired of hearing about the exploits Harry had gotten up to in the company of Blaise sodding Zabini.

Looking around at the wizards he was drinking with, all in an effort to keep his friendship with Harry intact, Ron wondered if the situation was sustainable. It shouldn't be such hard work to accept the role of the Slytherins in the lives of those closest to him, but it was. Every day was an effort not to mess up and say what he was truly thinking. Every day was spent minding his manners and not screaming at the injustice of the Slytherins encroaching on his friends and family. Every day was tiring, and Ron was getting sick of it.

Knocking back the rest of his pint, Ron muttered an excuse about needing the bathroom and headed towards the back of the pub. However, instead of heading into the bathroom, he slipped out the back door into the beer garden. Even the choice of pub they were drinking in was getting him down as even though he wasn't present, Ron couldn't forget the fact that Lucius Malfoy owned the place.

"Sodding Malfoys, taking over everything," he muttered to himself as he kicked at a loose bit of gravel.

Slumping down on the wall that ringed the picturesque beer garden, Ron began to seriously wonder about packing it all in and returning to Canada. It hadn't been what he'd wanted to do, but then again, he hadn't wanted to return home to find his ex-girlfriend married to their arch enemy. Nor had he expected life back home to have changed so much, or need as much effort. Of course Molly would be devastated if he went again, but it wouldn't be like before and he wouldn't be running away. If he did leave, he would do so properly, with proper goodbyes and he would keep in touch with his family.

Half on the verge of heading home to see if he could get in touch with his former boss and return to his old job, Ron heard someone exiting the pub. Assuming it was a customer coming out to enjoy the beer garden, he paid them no heed until he felt a presence standing beside him. When he glanced up, he audibly groaned at the sight of Draco Malfoy.

"Believe me, Weasel, I feel the same way," Draco snorted, sitting down on the wall a decent distance from the red-head. "I pulled the short straw and came to find you."

"Well you've found me, so you can sod off," Ron retorted. He tolerated Draco in front of anyone else, but on their own, he wasn't going to put on a pretence.

"That would suit me, but Potter would only ask why I didn't bring you back inside," Draco replied.

"I don't want to go back inside," Ron muttered.

"You don't want to be here, do you?" Draco asked, even though the answer was blatantly obvious.

"No, I don't," Ron answered honestly. "And you don't have to worry about me for much longer. I think my time at home is coming to an end. I don't belong here any more."

"You're leaving?" Draco questioned in surprise. To be honest he'd expected Ron to run months ago, but as he'd been home a year he figured he was wrong and the red-head was staying put.

"Thinking about it," Ron replied, not sure why he was confiding in Malfoy before speaking to his family. "Although I'm sure you'll be pleased to see the back of me."

"In all honesty, I couldn't care less either way," Draco retorted with a shrug. "Despite what you may think, I don't view you as threat. I don't live in fear that you're going to steal Hermione from me."

"Why not?" Ron asked with a frown. "You know I still have feelings for her. And we have a long past, not just as partners, but as friends. We have history you can't hope to compete with, Malfoy."

"And the key word there is history," Draco replied. "I know you and Hermione have history, and share memories that I will never be part of. But you also tried a relationship which didn't work."

"Due to circumstances," Ron argued. "If she hadn't bought that damn house, we might still be together."

"If it hadn't been the house, it would have been something else," Draco predicted. "The simple fact is Weasley, you and Hermione didn't belong together. You may have loved her, but you weren't able to accept her for who she is."

"And who is that?" Ron snorted.

"A strong, independent woman who doesn't need a man to define her," Draco replied. "She once told me that when you broke up, you accused her of not needing you."

"Which she didn't," Ron interjected.

"The thing is Weasley, she doesn't need anyone. That's not who she is. She doesn't need me, not in the way you expected her to need you. But I know that, and it doesn't bother me."

"Of course it must bother you," Ron snorted dismissively. "You're her husband, she should need you."

"She doesn't need me, she wants me," Draco clarified. "And that is why I'm not threatened by the fact she's got a life outside of our marriage. I'm not threatened by the fact she's got a successful business and a house I have no claim on. I am not threatened by any of that, because at the end of the day, she chose to spend her life with me. I got lucky, Weasley, and unlike you, I won't be throwing that luck away. I will be holding onto it until my dying day."

Ron wanted to snap at the blond and say something nasty, but yet again Draco's words had struck a nerve and he found himself unable to hate him for being able to see what he hadn't. If he'd been smarter, he could have held onto Hermione, and no matter what Draco said, he believed that things would have worked out between them and they would have been happy together. But it was too late for that now, Hermione had moved on and she was happy with someone else. So maybe it was time for him to also move on and try and find his own happy ending.

"I think I'm going to call it a night," Ron said as he got to his feet. "Although I would appreciate it if you didn't mention that I'm thinking about leaving. I don't want to say anything until I'm sure."

"My lips are sealed," Draco replied. "All I would say, is if you are leaving, do it right this time. Don't burn your bridges a second time, as I don't think they will be fixable again."

Once again seeing the wisdom in Draco's words, and being annoyed that the former Slytherin was so wise, Ron headed home to think. In the end he did decide his future lay elsewhere, only this time he didn't run off without a word. He spoke to everyone he cared about personally and promised to keep in touch with the family. Only then did he return to Canada, and this time he allowed himself a chance to move on and develop a proper future for himself, while back home his friends and family continued their lives surrounded by the Slytherins he hadn't been able to live with.


	9. Sweet Revenge

**Sweet Revenge.**

For the first time in several months, Hermione Granger, entered Gryffindor Tower. Following her break-up, and then subsequent showdown with Ron, she'd avoided the place which had been her home for six years. But now entering the familiar common room, Hermione regretted letting Ron drive her away. This was now going to be her last visit to Gryffindor Tower as they left school the following day, and since it was their seventh year, they wouldn't be back.

Shaking off her regrets, Hermione passed through the common room, greeting people as she went, and headed towards the stairs that led to the boys dorms. Last time she'd made the trip up to the boys dorms she had found her boyfriend in bed with another witch, but this time it wasn't Ron she had come to see. This time she was here to see Harry, and she knew she couldn't be finding him in a compromising position. In fact when she entered the dorms, she found him sticking out from under the bed.

"Harry," she called with a slight laugh. "What are you doing under the bed?"

"Making sure I haven't forgotten anything," Harry called back, his voice muffled slightly from being half hidden under the bed. "I've found a sock from years ago under here."

"How do you know it's from years ago?" Hermione questioned, perching on Dean's neatly made bed.

"I can remember throwing the other one away when I realised I'd lost it's mate," Harry answered as he wriggled out from under the bed, clutching a handful of junk. "It's surprising what you accumulate after living somewhere for so long."

"More like it's surprising what junk collects itself under your bed when you don't clean up in years," Hermione retorted as she pulled out her wand and cleaned the dust from her best friend.

"I always thought the house elves cleaned under the bed," Harry admitted sheepishly.

"Maybe the elves have learned it's better not to pry under a teenage boys bed," Hermione remarked with a mischievous smirk.

"Are you implying they would find something rude?" Harry chuckled. "These Slytherins are rubbing off on you, Hermione."

"Like you can complain," Hermione retorted. "You seem quite happy to be getting hot and heavy with Pansy."

"You were right about her, she's lovely once you get to know her," Harry replied with a smile. "Not to mention a complete firecracker in bed."

"Now who's been spending too much time with the Slytherins," Hermione laughed.

"Considering we're both happy with Slytherins, I would say spending so much time with them is a good thing," Harry said, dumping the junk he'd found under the bed in the bin and sitting down on his own bed, facing Hermione.

"It is," Hermione agreed.

She still had her other friends, but since Christmas most of her time was spent with Draco and the other Slytherins. Harry had also drifted into the group, and although he was still friends with Ron, things had never been quite the same between the pair of them. Ron saw Harry's support of Hermione, and his subsequent friendship with the Slytherins, as a betrayal and he constantly trying to force Harry to chose between him and Hermione. Not that Harry picked either side, but he naturally gravitated towards Hermione, and since starting to date Pansy, he was very much part of the Slytherin gang. Although despite his threats, Ron didn't end their friendship when he continued to be friends with Hermione.

"So, is there a reason for your visit?" Harry asked. "Because this is the first time you've been here since before Christmas. And weren't we all meeting in the head dorms to discuss our plans?"

After leaving Hogwarts for the final time the Slytherins had planned a relaxing holiday before they had to face the real world and start their lives as adults. Draco had persuaded Hermione to join them, and Harry had also agreed to join the fun. However, final decisions still needed to be made as to where they were going and for how long they were going.

"I wanted to talk to you in private," Hermione said. "To be honest it's a talk we should have had months ago. I should have bene honest with you from the start, but I didn't want to lose you Harry. After what happened with Ron, I couldn't bear to lose my best friend, so I didn't tell you the truth. I lied to you."

"I know," Harry said softly.

Hermione was so shocked that for several seconds all she could do was gape at Harry. "You what?" she finally managed.

"I know," Harry repeated.

"Know what?" Hermione whispered.

"I know that when we came back after the Christmas holidays, you weren't really with Draco," Harry answered. "I know it was a ploy to get back at Ron."

"How do you know that?" Hermione questioned. "Have you always known?"

"No, I hadn't always known," Harry replied. "Even at the beginning when I was really shocked by your new romance, and the speed at which it had developed, it never occurred to me that it might not be genuine. Mainly because I could see you were truly happy. And I could certainly see the sparks between you and Draco."

"I guess the sparks had always been there," Hermione admitted. "And even though it started as an act, I was happy. But it's not an act now, Harry. We are truly together, and I love him."

"I know, and I know he loves you," Harry said with a soft smile. "I think in the end, everyone has worked out how it was meant to. You deserve someone who loves you and worships you the way Draco does. It's mad given all the history, but I don't worry about him hurting you. Unlike Ron, who can be a selfish git, I know Draco would rather hurt himself than hurt you."

"I still don't understand how you know about the act though," Hermione remarked. "And why you're not mad at me for lying to you. I so nearly told you the truth that very first day, but I was so worried that you would disapprove and would end out friendship."

"I won't lie to you, Hermione, I was a bit put out at first," Harry admitted. "I was hurt that you didn't tell me the truth. And I was shocked that you would be part of such a devious scheme. But Pansy made me see that it wasn't about me. It was about you getting the chance to stand up for yourself and prove that you weren't a victim."

"Pansy," Hermione muttered, the pieces falling into place. Of course he'd found out the truth from Pansy, even though it had never occurred to her that the Slytherin witch would tell Harry about their plan.

"Don't be mad at her, she didn't mean to tell me," Harry said. "We were just talking, and when the subject of Ron came up, she let slip about her role in his humiliation. She then told me everything, including how scared you were of losing me if I ever found out the truth."

"I am sorry Harry," Hermione said sincerely.

"I know you are," Harry replied. "And while it's a course of action, I never would have approved of, I have to say Ron deserved it. Over Christmas he kept swearing that he'd made a mistake with Lavender and that he was going to make amends with you. And he promised me that he wouldn't hurt you again. Yet the first chance he got, he showed his true colours and turned on you. You're better off without him, Hermione."

"I really am," Hermione agreed with a nod. "And better yet, I'm with someone who really loves me."

"Pansy knew what she was doing there," Harry chuckled.

"She what?" Hermione frowned. "What am I missing, Harry? You know something I don't know, don't you?"

"Maybe," Harry admitted with a grimace. When Pansy had told him the truth about the plan, she'd told him everything, including her ulterior motive.

"What do you know, Harry?" Hermione demanded.

"Just remember that it's all worked out for the best, and Pansy gave you an opportunity to get even with Ron, something you wouldn't have had without her plan," Harry cautioned.

"I'll remember, now tell me what you know."

"The plan wasn't just about you getting revenge on Ron," Harry admitted. "It was about bringing you and Draco together. Draco's liked you for a long time, and Pansy was hoping that by pretending to be a couple you would see how perfect you were for each other and really fall in love. She wasn't trying to use you or manipulate you, Hermione. She wanted to help you get revenge on Ron, and she wanted to make Draco happy. But if nothing had happened between you, she never would have interfered. Really she just gave you both the nudge you needed to get together."

"Does Draco know this?" Hermione asked.

"Hell no," Harry snorted. "Pansy didn't want him to think she was interfering. To be honest I think she's worried that he might take it personally and worry that the only reason he's got a girlfriend is because of her interference."

"But in a way, that is the only reason we're together," Hermione pointed out. "Without Pansy's plan, we might not be together. Draco might not have told me how he felt. It's only recently he's admitted he liked me long before we got together. And what if I'd never realised I liked him without the plan? Without Pansy, we wouldn't be together."

"So, you're not mad?" Harry checked, hoping that he didn't have to warn his girlfriend that he'd dropped her in it with an irate Hermione.

"I'm not mad," Hermione confirmed. "But I do think it's time we all started to be honest with each other. I'm going to propose a pact tonight. No more secrets. In future if there's going to be any devious schemes, we're all in it together."

"You think there's going to be more devious schemes?" Harry questioned.

"Harry, we're both dating Slytherins, are lives are going to be full of devious schemes," Hermione laughed.

"What are we letting ourselves in for?" Harry chuckled.

"A hell of a good time," Hermione replied confidently.

She had no regrets about getting involved with a Slytherin, and she knew that Harry felt the same. The pair of them were very happy with their Slytherin lovers. And best of all, the guilt at lying to Harry had gone. Now he knew the truth, and he was still her friend, they could move on and forget all about the revenge scheme which had been pay back for Ron for cheating on Hermione, and had brought her and Draco together. After all, what did it matter how she and Draco had ended up together. The point was, they were together, and they couldn't be happier.


End file.
